Üā Sūt Cktüis (How to be Dragon)
by ShoRammy
Summary: After failing to teach Spike how to fly Twilight asks for Dragon Lord Ember help fill in her gaps of 'dragonish' knowledge. Whom Ember sends in response will send shock waves through Equestria and beyond...
1. Prologue: Lūzt ar Vēstuli

**Prologue: Lūzt ar Vēstuli (A Request by Letter)**

 _Dragon Lord Ember,_

 _Recent events have brought to light that Spike's upbringing by ponies may be effecting his emotion and physical health in adverse ways. First Spike recently went through what Smolder told us was 'the molt.' While Smolder meant well when she explained it to Spike, he did not take the explanation well. If what Smolder said is typical(correct me if I am wrong), then when a dragon is found to be going through the 'molt' they are kicked out of the metaphorical nest. Given the less than pleasant symptoms, I can understand the reasoning, but it brought up fears that being a dragon that he would be abandoned or driven out by ponies, even though these fears are unfounded._

 _Finally, in my excitement in assisting Spike in learning to fly I had forgotten that Spike's wings were not a pony's wings. It took Smolder to point out my obliviousness: dragon wings are more like a bat not a bird and at least at this stage of his development are positioned for a bipedal stance, not quadrupedal._

 _I feel that our current 'arrangement' may not be enough and I know what I am about to ask is a long shot, given that dragons are not terribly keen with ponies yet, but is there a dragon that could come to Ponyville to tutor us directly on dragon rearing and biology?_

 _Your friend Princess of Friendship,_

 _Twilight Sparkle_

Ember sighed as she rolled the scroll back up. While she was glad to get another letter from Twilight the contents of the letter bothered her. Normally it would be a time of celebration for a dragon who successfully survived their molt, but if she recalled correctly Spike was way too young to molt. She didn't know a of single dragon real, myth, or otherwise to molt before a century and Spike was less then twenty. Whether this was truly bad or not she didn't know.

"Another letter from the ponies?" Torch questioned pulling Ember from her musings.

"Yes..." Ember answered, looking over as he stepped into the large pool of lava nearby. This was good, maybe her father would know more. "Dad... have you heard of a dragon molting before turning one hundred?"

"What?!" Torch snorted in amusement. "Where did you hear such nonsense!? I swear that if you heard that as a pickup line..."

"DAAAAD!" Ember sputtered in embarrassment. While normally she didn't mind him reminiscing about how things used to be that was one subject she never wanted him to talk about again, ever. "No drake has dared to try, not after word got out about what you did to the _last_ one..."

"No." Ember spoke after a short pause to rid the image of the poor drake from her mind. "It is Spike he molted and..."

"Should have figured it was that wingless drake from Equestria..."

"DAD..." Ember threatened, tapping her claws on the bloodstone specter in her grip. She knew of her father's distaste of Spike. Whether it was because the circumstances surroundings how Equestria had come into the custody of a dragon or if it was him being overprotective of his 'little princess' she knew not.

"Fine, fine." Torch yielded, sighing as he slowly lowered himself further into lava pool. "I do not know what molting before a hundred means but there is one dragon that might know..."

Ember blinked in mild surprise. She wasn't expecting him to offer the information she needs without metaphorically twisting his arm or threatening him with the scepter. "And who this dragon?"

"No. No." Torch slowly touched the tip of the scepter with a claw. "The scepter will not help you here. He lives outside the range of its influence. If you want his help you are going to have to ask him in person."

"Okay then, where may I find him?" Ember resisted the urge to growl in irritation. _If it wasn't one thing it was another!_

"Last I heard he lived on an island in the middle of the Greater Western Sea." Ember nearly lost her grip on the Bloodstone Scepter at that. The Greater Western Sea was a vast uncharted ocean that could hold dozens upon dozens of Equestrias. How was she to find an island much less a single dragon in the middle of that!?

"Are you sure that this... drake is worth your time as Dragon Lord?"

Ember opened her mouth but hesitated. While she was Dragon Lord and her rulings were law there was still factions that were opposed to some of her changes to dragon law and culture and if she left now... But then again Spike was dragon and as Dragon Lord she felt that was her duty to help if she could. "Yes... Guide me to this dragon."

* * *

 _ **Uncharted island, Greater Western Sea, 3 weeks later**_

* * *

Ember sighed as Torch examined the outside of another cave, the fifth one so far on this island alone. She was beginning to wonder if Torch was lost and didn't want to admit it. At least they had shelter if that storm she saw to the south decided to move north.

 **Šizra!** Ember nearly jumped. She was used to her father boisterous voice but the cave seemed to amplify it more then usual.

"Šizra?" She questioned as she rubbed her ringing ears. She had never heard of a name like that before; it sounded more like gibberish then a real name.

"Ancient Draconian." Torch shrugged. "Apparently Šizra is the only dragon alive that can or care to still speak it."

Ember felt that might change to none with how loud Torch was. It was a miracle that he didn't cause a cave in as it was. At least the silence from the cave meant that it hadn't had one... yet.

 **Šizra!** Ember facepalmed as Torch roared second time into the cave. "Get your lazy ass out here!"

"You know if you had told me his name earlier I could have used..."

She paused as she could make out someone or something approaching. Even though she knew it was coming she still taken aback when set of glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness.

"Cktüis Zuserthators Lācktas..." A deep voice echoed. Even for a dragon Ember noted that the voice was dry and coarse, like he had not used his voice in a long time. "I know it's been a while, but how many times have I told you..."

"You have being living under a wet rock far too long Šizra, my reign ended two years ago. This is my daughter, and current Dragon Lord, Ember."

"I see..." The eyes moved from Torch to Ember. It was hard to tell for sure but they almost seemed... bored.. "Cktüis Zuserthators Ember, what can I do for you? I doubt Lācktas would brought you all this way simply to brag about his daughter succeeding him."

 _Cktüis Zuserthators? Lācktas?_ Ember wondered. Clearly it was more Ancient Draconian. But what really got her pondering was how small his eyes were. They were eyes of dragon near her age. How then could a dragon that young know Ancient Draconian when she hadn't heard of it before today? And why was he remaining in the darkness outside of her sight?

"I was told that you could assist me..."

"Clearly."

"Right." Ember growled, trying to resist the urge to pinch her brow. "A drake by the name of Spike...

"Don't care."

"He molted at twenty and..."

"Again, don't care."

Ember growled, gripping the scepter harder. What was with this dragon?! She wasn't even able to finish a single sentence before he dismissed her! If she was her father she would have already used the scepter to end this farce. "Spike's guardians are _ponies!_ "

"Interesting..." That seemed to have gotten Šizra's attention as his glowing red eyes now bored down on Ember with intensity she didn't think was possible from a pair of glowing eyes. "Where can I find this 'Spike'?"


	2. Chapter 1: Theaicithāts Viesis

**Chapter 1: Theaicithāts Viesis (Uninvited Guest)**

 _To know if something or someone truly has worth, examine it in secret._ ~ Ancient Dragon Proverb

Fluttershy stepped out of her cottage and sighed contently as she took a deep breath of the morning spring air. The dew was still on the grass and there wasn't a cloud sight, the birds were singing songs of romance, and Angel had only misbehaved once. Over all it was a beautiful morning, and if she hurried through her morning chores maybe she could have time to talk with Manny Roar before classes began at the School of Friendship. She was hoping he would be wiling to come to a Kindness class. Meeting the very manticore from the night that she became the Bearer of Kindness would be a wonderful experience that she was sure her students would enjoy.

She calmly and carefully made her way around her property, feeding and checking up on all the animals that made their home around her cottage. The animals always swarmed around her especially during feedings but given that it was spring there were younglings she had to be extra careful. That didn't stop her from bursting out into her favorite song.

 ** _There's music in the treetops_**

 ** _And there's music in the vale..._**

"Eep!" Fluttershy bleated as she dived down into one of the many bushes that lined her property. Someone had just walked out of the trees of the Everfree. While she was less nervous about singing in front of others the surprise of someone coming out of the Everfree in the middle of the song spooked her.

At first she thought it was Zecora but she had stopped using a traveling cloak when she came to town after the residents fears of her were abated. Also, even though it was hard to tell for sure, but the individual appeared to be the size of Big Mac or even Princess Celestia. Maybe it was one of Zecora's family, given that the path to her hut did came out in the same location...

Fluttershy watched nervously until the figure disappeared from her sight. Sighing in mild relief she slowly went back to her chores. She would ask Zecora later about the visitor. Nothing else happened until she was just about to start her last chore for the morning, gathering the eggs from her chickens.

She was about walk into the coup when a familiar bright flash temporarily blinded her and causing her to stumble off the ramp and onto her back.

"Thank, hic chaos you are okay, hic!" Discord exclaimed, picking up Fluttershy in a bone crushing hug.

"Discord!" Fluttershy snapped. While she didn't mind the hug the sudden flashy appearance while she was in the middle her morning chores was a problem. She knew she had asked him several times to refrain from doing that especially when it was spring as it spooked her animals even more when they had young ones to care for.

She was about to remind him of that but one look at his face stopped her. Discord looked absolutely terrified. Her thoughts went back to the figure that had come out of the Everfree. Did Lord Tirek escape again and was waltzing right into Ponyville to exact revenge!? Or was it someone else from Discord's past? He did make a lot of enemies over the years...

* * *

"Okay, let's start at 1.5 thaumahertz." Twilight called out from under the Cutie Map.

"Sending 1.5 thaumahertz of raw mana." Starlight repeated just before she sent out the requested magic.

As Twilight examined the faintly glowing web of mana that was now running through the crystal she was reminded just how intricate the spellcraft went into the map. There was still vast parts of the map she did not understand. It was why it took so long to fix it when Starlight had damaged it with Starswirl's spell. Sadly the fix didn't take fully as the map was still glitching out from time to time.

*flash*

Twilight hissed in pain as her head hit the table in surprise. There was only one being that would cause a flash like that. "Discord! Starlight and I are in the middle of some very delicate spell..."

The rest of her rant died on her lips when she pulled herself out from under the table. There, sitting in their respective thrones completely dazed and confused, were the other bearers. She could see Discord half hiding behind Fluttershy's shaking like a leaf, a look of absolute fear in his eyes. Oddly, Starlight was nowhere in sight.

"What in tarnation is going on?" Applejack asked the question on Twilight's mind.

"Discord what did you do to Starlight?"

"I teleported her away... hic to safety... "Discord attempted to explain. "I... hic... need... hic, hic... help... "

"Discord calm down," Fluttershy cooed as she rubbed a hoof down Discord's back, "Take a few deep breaths, and then tell us what is wrong."

Discord took Fluttershy's advise to heart, complete with paper bag. After a few nosy puffs he tossed the bag. "Earlier today I felt a presence, hic, a magic I had not felt in a long time and...it's getting stronger, hic, by the minute and if it is who I think it is..."

"Who Discord?!" Twilight grumbled when Discord started biting his nails. She needed more information the half chocked ramblings if she had a hope of helping and clearly the sooner the better.

"He is an ancient being... we might need the Elements... and the princesses... and..." Discord rambling faded away as his gaze climbed up to the ceiling.

One by one everyponies' heads followed Discord's, and, there standing upside down on the root chandler like it was the floor was a large figure wrapped in a brown cloak, a pair of red glowing eyes peered down from within the hood.

"Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola." It spoke and something about the deep coarse voice sent shivers up and down Twilight's spine. She wasn't sure if it was because the voice or if it was the fact that the intruder, whomever he was, was hiding beneath a cloak. An enchanted cloak if she was not mistaken. "I should have known you would mess with my plans."

Rainbow Dash, being the first to shake off her shock, quickly flew up to the intruder, jabbing a hoof out. "Now listen here bub!"

 _"Athulēt."_

Rainbow Dash yelped in shock as she suddenly dropped like a stone to the floor.

"Are you okay Rainbow?" Twilight inquired as she looked over her friend. It was clear that there was magic behind the word 'athulēt' but exactly what that magic was, she didn't know. It was not like any magic she knew of, which both excited and unnerved her. It could mean a wealth of magic knowledge to learn or it could mean trouble if this person was truly up to something nefarious. A lack of understanding of the nature of the magic being used could make it extremely hard to counter.

"Yeah, I've had worse falls... " Rainbow waved off her concern until she tried flapping her wings a few times. "but I can't seem to get off the ground."

Twilight carefully reexamined Rainbow as she struggled to get lift. She had meticulously studied pegasi magic after her ascension with hope that it would help her flying. No offense to Rainbow Dash teaching but at the time she was not the best fight instructor. Not that her own research helped all that much either. At least it was fascinating subject matter to study and was instrumental in discovering the mechanics behind the Sonic Rainboom.

"Please, hic, don't provoke him further Rainbow Dash or he will..."

"Enough Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola!" The unknown person hissed, his red eyes glowing brighter. "You brought it on yourself when you knowingly overstepped your place. Be glad I had mercy to let you be stoned. Next time it will be my sword that ends it."

Discord yelped and fled, or as much as he could, underneath the table.

"How dare you... How dare you! Listen here, mister." Twilight blinked as she watched Fluttershy dress down the intruder. While she was proud of Fluttershy muscling up her courage she doubted that someone that terrified Discord could be effected by her stare enhanced lecturing given that she had tried this very tactic on Discord before and failed. "Just because Discord 'overstepped' his place doesn't mean you get to be a bully! You do not- I repeat- You do _not! Hurt! My! Friends!_ You got that?"

"Or what?" The cloaked figure dared.

Twilight sighed as Fluttershy's chastisement failed. With the threat of violence she had to find a way to deescalate the situation before someone got hurt. _'Next time' he said._ It sounded as if he was not here for Discord as Discord feared. So if that was the case then why was he here? "Why are you here...uh...?"

The figure jumped down off the chandler, spinning to orientate right side to the floor. Twilight cringed as the figure slammed onto the map table, Discord screeching in fear, scrambled behind Fluttershy's throne. The repairs that Starlight and she were in the middle of making were not completed yet and having something as large as the figure crashed down on it could disrupt all their progress or make matters worse then they were before.

"Šizra." 'Šizra' answered, slightly bowing his head towards Twilight. "I am here to see about the dragon known as Spike."

Twilight narrowed her eyes. After the fiasco with Sludge she was not going to let just anyone waltz in here to see Spike. It hurt him more then what Spike was willing to admit and she did not want to see his emotions played like a fiddle again. "And why do you need to see Spike?"

"To teach the drake what you are unable to teach him, to teach him to be who and what he is: dragon."

"No."

"Interesting... I was under the impression that you had inquired of Cktüis Zuserthators Ember for assistance in the matters of raising Spike or have you rescinded that request?"

"No..." Twilight shook her head both in response to the question and the purple prose. "But it's just that the last person that try to teach him to 'be a dragon' was a fraud and merely used Spike for his own gain."

"I see..."

"Šizra?" Fluttershy slowly spoke up, flinching ever so slightly when Šizra's eyes turned towards her. "Um about Discord..."

"Has he been abusing his powers?"

 _'Next time it will be my sword that ends it.'_ Twilight shivered as she remembered Šizra's words. While Discord could be annoying at times he never did anything that even remotely deserved such a fate. Not when he escaped the first time and not even when he betrayed Equestria to help Lord Tirek.

"Um... no." Fluttershy finally answered.

"Then he has nothing to fear from me."

"Well mahbe if ya didn't threaten tah kill him..." AJ shook her head. "I'm sorry Twi, but ah think you should ask Ember for somedragon else to help Spike."

"I agree. Spikey-Wikey doesn't need this brute teaching him anything."

Twilight looked around to see that her friends were shaking their heads. As much as she knew Spike could use help she had to agree as well. Hopefully Ember would not be too upset over the rejection of her selection for a tutor. "I'm sorry you came all this way Šizra, but I can't have you teaching Spike."

"As you wish." Šizra bowed to Twilight before he slowly stepped off the table.

"One moment Šizra." Twilight requested as she quickly summoned a piece of parchment along with a quill and ink.

 _Dragon Lord Ember,_

 _Thank you for sending a tutor but I feel that Šizra will not be a good fit for Spike. Are there any other dragons willing?_

 _Your friend Princess of Friendship,_

 _Twilight Sparkle_

She had just put her seal on the letter when the doors burst open, Starlight rushing in with Spike right behind her.

"Twilight! Discord teleported me to... uh..." Starlight blushed, "Um... I'm sorry I didn't mean... I uh..."

"It's okay Starlight, nothing to worry about." Twilight smiled, waving her to come fully in, thankful that Starlight seemed no worse for wear. She was a bit surprised to see Spike as she thought he would still in Canterlot visiting Princess Celestia for a bit longer. This was good, though, because it meant that she could trust that the letter she just wrote would get to Ember. "It's good to see you home Spike. I hope you had fun."

"Sure did, but if there is nothing important going on I would like to go to my room read the new comics I got."

Twilight chuckled as she figured he would not want to wait to dive into a new comic. She was Just like that with a new book. "Of course, but before you do that can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Send this letter to Ember for me."

Spike nodded as he took the letter and quickly sent it off with a puff of his flame.

"Uh, hi?" Spike nervously waved a hello as he noticed that Šizra was slowly approaching him.

"Šizra?"

Šizra didn't respond as he knelt down in front of Spike and lowered his hood.


	3. Chapter 2: Cktüis' Tuslas Uzuths

**Chapter 2: Cktüis' Tuslas Uzuths (A Dragon's Fiery Fury)**

* * *

 _Nothing is more precious to a dragon, not life, not even its hoard, than the egg and wingless._ ~ Unknown

"Šizra?"

Šizra knelt down in front of Spike and lowered his hood revealing a dark blue furred pony underneath.

Twilight nearly fell off her throne in shock. _Šizra is a_ pony!? _I asked for help from Ember and she sends a_ pony!?

 _No..._ she realized as the initial surprise faded, _not exactly._ While he appeared pony at a glance he had characteristics of both dragons and ponies, making him possibly a hybrid of the two. She didn't think that a pony and dragon offspring was possible but here in front of her was possible proof of that impossibility.

So besides the slitted red eyes Šizra also had fangs and a single diamond patch of scales on the the top of his snout. Two black horns shot out the back of his head barely visible under his is also black, messy mane.

"Young one, do you know how you were hatched?"

"Yeah, Twilight hatched me with magic when she was six during her entrance exam for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. She..." Spike chuckled. Twilight rolled her eyes, Spike always found the other things her mana surge did funny, at least all she had to do to shut him up was bring up him sucking his tail. "She ended up turning her parents into potted plants and me into a ceiling destroying giant!"

"Was she an alicorn when she hatched you?"

Twilight blinked in confusion. Why would he ask that? What was so fascinating about Spike's letter fire? And what did all that have to do with how he was hatched?! The questions just kept pilling up and yet she dared not voice them.

"Well, no. Twilight merely had a mana surge when Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom startled her."

"A mana surge?" Šizra whispered.

"Yeah, apparently it's a common thing for young unicorn ponies to have." Spike shrugged unaware of what Twilight and the others were beginning to see.

Since when he first lowered his hood his expression had been slowly morphing from shock and amazement to stony calm to what it was now: angry and becoming angrier by the second.

"Thief..." Šizra hissed, causing Spike to finally notice how cross he had become.

Twilight stumbled backwards when Šizra gaze snapped to her. She gulped in terror as she scrambled to get away, forgetting that she could teleport. Any remaining thoughts of Šizra not being a dragon vanished as she saw dark blue flames licking out of his fang filled mouth.

"EGG SNATCHER!" Šizra roared spewing out a massive wave of blue flame right at her.

It happened so fast that Twilight didn't have a chance to do anything other close her eyes and yelp in fear. The next thing she heard was a faint snapping sound followed by a brilliantly bright light, blinding her even with her eyes shut. When, after a few moments, she didn't feel any pain or heat nor smelt any burnt fur she slowly opened her eyes to see that she was standing in a field.

 _What happened?_ She wondered as she looked over her unmarked body. _Did I die? Is this the fabled Eternal Pasturelands?_ With touch of sadness she looked around to see her friends, Spike, and Discord were all here as well. All of them confused except Discord who saying something but for some reason she couldn't seem to hear him.

Discord shook his head and floated up to her and slapped her. "Snap out it! We aren't dead yet! I just teleported us to a field just outside of Ponyville, but if don't move..."

"Discord!" Rarity admonished. "Was that really necessary?!"

"IF we don't move and move now HE WILL KILL US ALL!" Discord bellowed.

As one every took a step back from the raging draconequus, Fluttershy whimpering softly. They had never seen Discord so agitated before.

"You don't want to fight him." Discord softly added, "His power can make the landscaping project during Twilight's fight with Lord Tirek, you know the one that toppled mountain tops... He can vaporize the entire mountain range like he was raking some sand in a zen garden!"

"Oooh, ooh! What about the Elements?" Pinkie pipped up. "Now that the tree is safe we can use them on the big meanie."

"They won't work..."

"What do yah mean 'won't work?!'" AJ questioned, her eyes narrowing.

"And how would you know?!" Rainbow accused, hoovering, not noticing that she was able to fly again.

"BECAUSE HE MADE THE ELEMENTS! THE CASTLE! THE MAP!" Discord screamed, flailing his arms wildly.

"Discord..." Fluttershy murmured shakily putting a hoof on Discord's back. "Please, calm down."

Discord flinched at the contact but did as Fluttershy wanted. "The only thing that we can do is run and hope... run and hope."

"Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola!" The voice of Šizra bellowed. To Twilight's ears it sound as if it was coming from everywhere at once. "Have you forgotten? I can track your magic!"

Twilight quickly pulled up a prism shaped shield around them. It was just in time too as a wave of flame crashed over it. She grunted as wave after wave of flames washed over the shield. She didn't have time to figure out a way to get them out their situation and she was beginning to sweat from the assault.

*Schick*

Everpony looked over to see that something had managed to pierce the shield, large cracks emanating from it.

"Is that a sword!?" Rarity exclaimed.

Twilight nearly lost her concentration at that revelation. As it was she had barely managed to keep the shield from shattering from the initial impact. If it was a sword it was the one of the strangest swords she had ever seen. It looked too fantastical to be practical.

" _Leafcutter..._ " Discord squeaked out.

"Well what evah it is it's cuttin' through like Twi's shield was warm apple buttah!" Aj jaw dropped as the 'sword' started to cut through the shield leaving a large opening behind it.

"Twilight!" Starlight shouted. A single look between Twilight and her was all that was needed. A stream of magic shout out from Starlight's horn into the cracking shield.

For a infinitesimal moment Twilight thought that the addition of Starlight's magic would be enough as some of the cracks were slowly closing and the sword stopped moving. But then slowly but surely the sword began moving again.

"Discord, any assistance will me most appreciated right about now!" Starlight grunted, sweat already pouring down her forehead.

"DISCORD! HELP, NOW!" Starlight roared out as the sword began to cut through the shield even faster then before.

With a snap Discord teleported them away, unfortunately they were now outside the shield. Twilight fell to one knee, she could tell she had exerted too much mana. She wasn't sure if she could get a shield back up without time to rest first, time that they didn't have.

"We... we need... to run!" Twilight gasped out, struggling to breathe as she saw that Šizra had already found them.

But they didn't get a chance to move as a wall of blue flame shoot up out of the ground in behind them cutting off their escape. They were trapped between flames and growling Šizra.

"We are doomed!" Rarity wailed.

Suddenly Celestia and Luna appeared in a duel flash of teleportation. Both were standing deck out in their battle armor. Twilight hadn't seen Celestia so grim, not even when Chancellor Neighsay recently nearly caused a war.

"Šizra!?" Princess Luna muttered in surprise.

"Yah _know_ him?" AJ shouted in shock.

"Yes." Luna nodded. "He was an invaluable ally and friend during the early part of our reign, especially after the Pillars 'disappearance.' It was he that taught us the art of battle... without him Equestria would not be."

"Twilight do you know why Šizra is trying to kill you?" Celestia asked, keeping a close eye on the now angrily pacing Šizra.

"I don't know!" Twilight exclaimed. "He just showed up claiming he was here to teach Spike to be a dragon, but I didn't like his temper nor trusted him so I asked him to leave. He complied without any qualms, but then he saw Spike send a letter to Ember... He asked about how he was hatched and when Spike told him he started shouting 'thief' and 'egg snatcher.'"

"I see..." Celestia slowly enunciated. "Whatever happens next, do not interfere."

"But Princess!" Twilight protested. With how powerful Šizra was if Celestia tried to take him on...

"Twilight," Celestia cupped Twilight's snout in her fetlock. "I need you to trust me."

Twilight gulped. "Okay."

"Do you have a plan sister?"

"Yes, and I fear it will be our only hope." Celestia calmly walked towards Šizra.

"Šizra!" Celestia shouted, her sword, _Dawnbringer_ , raising in her aura.

"Thief, murderer, egg-snatcher!" Šizra roared, rushing Celestia with his own sword.

As they began to clash the sky darken and the air became heavy. To Twilight it felt just like when the magic of all the princesses was pushed into her before she got used to it, only more so. If she was right then it meany that Šizra alone had to be stronger then all of the Princesses, minus Flurry of course, _combined_ , and if he had that much power and could control it with ease it was no wonder Discord was terrified. She really hoped Celestia knew what she was doing as one wrong move and she could be serious hurt or killed.

Šizra again roared, knocking everypony back with a blast of wind from the power of his voice. Lightning started to strike the ground from the boiling clouds above, tearing open the ground where they struck. Twilight shook in awe and horror, the lightening was no ordinary lightening, it was spell induced. Šizra was casting an extremely difficult, high mana spell that required immense concentration to cast while sword fighting with Celestia!

Luna quickly cast a shield over them. "Twilight can you still produce a shield?" She shouted above the thunder.

"No!" She shouted after several attempts only produced a few sparks. For now all they had was Luna's shield.

Twilight facehooved when Discord stepped past Luna holding an oversized golf bag. Now was not the time to be playing golf! But instead playing golf Discord was pulling out clubs that were large enough to be used by former Dragon Lord Torch. One by one he jammed them handle down into the ground in a wide ring around them.

"3-wood, iron 9, putter, gap wedge, a sandwich? What the chaos is that doing in there?" Discord frowned before throwing what suspiciously looked like a blt over his shoulder. "Iron 6..."

Twilight's eyes widen when she realized what Discord was doing. He was making crude lightening rods out of the golf clubs. It probably won't help much alone but at this point anything was better then nothing. Unfortunately, before he was able finish, a lightening bolt hit Luna's shield shattering it and striking him.

"DISCORD!" Fluttershy screamed, rushing to Discord, who had been flung back, his fur singed.

"I'm fine Fluttershy..." Discord whispered, reaching up with his eagle talons to cradling Fluttershy's check, "I just need to rest..."

"Is he?" Spike asked when Discord passed out, pulling Fluttershy away from Discord enough so that Luna could check on the draconequus.

"No, he will live." Luna said after a moment, straightening herself back up.

"Šizra! Please! Calm down." Celestia shouted, bringing everyponies' attention back to the fight.

The only response was another roar followed by multiple magic missiles to go with the lightening and slashing sword. Where as before they were evenly matched, now Celestia was slowly being put on the defense and losing ground. Suddenly Celestia cried in pain when Šizra managed to hit her in the side with a well aimed magic missile. She was knocked to the ground, tumbling many hooves.

"Princess!"

"You must stay back." Luna reminded, putting out a wing to block Rainbow's advance.

Celestia groaned as she slowly got to her hooves, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she opened them she stared down the slowly approaching pony dragon hybrid. "On my life and by my magic I do swear I will only speak truths to the one known as Šizra."

Twilight gasped, she recognized that oath. She had read about it in some really old scrolls in the restricted section of the archives. "Princess Luna was that... A geas!?"

"Yes, it was." Luna nodded, not taking her eyes off of her sister and Šizra.

Thankfully Šizra made no move to attack, though the lightening was still flashing all around them, he merely just stood there staring down Princess Celestia with narrowed eyes. After a few tense moments he finally spoke. "Speak, but know this, if I don't like your words on my life and by my magic I do swear this day Equestria will _burn_."

"What in tarnation is a geas?"

"A geas is a magical contract that was used by unicorns in the days before unification usually during trials. If one lied or did not fulfilled the vow given exactly their magic would... would..."

"Turn them to ash." Luna grimly supplied. "'Twas not a pretty sight and from what we have witnessed, a very painful way to die. Celestia and I outlawed them long ago because of that and how exact one had to be under one. A single misstep, one slip accidental or otherwise and..."

"What!?" Rainbow protested, fighting to get out of AJ's grip who had grabbed her tail to prevent her from moving. "Is she nuts?!"

"Princess Luna isn't there another way?" Fluttershy tearily asked, looking up from the still prone form of Discord for the first time since he fell unconscious.

"Doubtful." Luna sadly shook her head. "Yes, it was a very dangerous move to utilize a geas but I fear that my sister was right. Šizra's power eclipses our own by many magnitudes. Not once were we able to best him in duels even with with both of us giving it our all."

"Spike..." Celestia started to speak again, "His egg was found in the crystal mines under Canterlot several hundred years ago... When I was made light of this discovery I investigated. The crystal around where the egg was found showed the telltale signs that a dragon or dragons had once nested there. What little I knew of dragons I knew that no dragon would ever abandon their child like that. I knew that the only way for that to happen was if..."

"His parent's were long dead..." Šizra supplied when Celestia's voice gave out.

"Yes..." Celestia choked out, tears swelling in her eyes. "And because I... I was so alone after I had to banish Luna... I... couldn't bare to see... to never know the warmth of the sun nor the cool of night. So I tried and tried and tired to hatch him..."

"Your mana's affinity is fire, good for a Uzuthscktüis... but not a Tzircktstelescktüis."

Twilight lean forward trying to get closer so that she could get every word. She had never heard about this part of Spike's history. While she had found records detailing that his egg was found abandoned in a cave some time after Nightmare Moon's banishment she was not aware where this cave was nor that Celestia had personally investigated. Her attention was momentarily broken as she heard the sound of sobbing. She looked down to see that Spike bent over was grabbing her leg, his lips quivering, tears falling.

"Oh Spike..." Twilight knelt down and hugged Spike. "I am so sorry I..."

"When it became clear that I was not able to hatch the egg. I had it stored at my school for Gifted Unicorns to be used as a test of magical ability. Though I had failed I had hoped that maybe one day somepony could do what I could not..." Celestia continued, "Then one day it happened. A prospective student with a massive surge of magic... From the beginning they loved each other like siblings... I thought about seeing if a dragon would be willing to care for him but... I couldn't tear them apart. I know the pain..."

Twilight nearly collapsed as the oppressing pressure from the build up of mana suddenly lifted. She hoped that it merely meant that things were calming down and not a sign of escalation. She looked over to see that Šizra had lowered his sword. With a glance up she saw the sky was starting to return to normal and behind them the wall of flames that had disappeared.

"Celestia Solaris Es atsrīvoju tevi tho jūsu zvērests..."

Luna sighed, her body sagging a bit. "Šizra has released Celestia from her geas."

"Then is it over?" Rarity questioned, looking ready to faint. "Please say yes, I don't think my mane can handle any more drama right now."

"It is over, for now..."

Twilight gasped as Celestia turned around. She had never seen Celestia seem so old and tired. "May I have a word with you Twilight? Alone?"

"Princess Celestia?" Twilight's sense of worried rebuilding as she slowly walked up to Celestia.

"I council you to reconsider your rejection of Šizra." She requested once Twilight was close enough to have a private conversation.

"WHAT!? ARE YOU NUTS?!" Twilight shouted then cringed slight when she realize she had shouted and to whom. "He threaten to kill Discord then actually tried to kill us all!"

"Yes, I know." Celestia whispered, looking over to Šizra sadly. "His sense of justice is different then ours... However, none I know are as wise as he..."

"I will support your decision fully either way, all I ask is that you reconsider."

* * *

After Celestia had managed to talk down Šizra he had walked a short ways to the top of a nearby hill and laid down facing south, away from Ponyville and everypony else. For hours he just laid there staring off into nothing. The sun was low in the sky when Twilight slowly began to climb the hill towards him. The events of earlier in the day still playing in her head especially the words from Princess Celestia. In all her years she had never doubted Celestia's wisdom except once... well now twice. And with all her skepticism with Discord Celestia had been right to befriend him... _I hope I'm not making a mistake..._

Twilight stopped a few hooves away. She was leery about getting too close and though she was here to speak she had no idea where to start. How do you talk to somepony(?)-someone like him?

"Uzuthscktüis, fire..., letuscktüis, ice... jūracktüis, water... Tzircktstelescktüis, true, pure raw mana..." Šizra suddenly uttered, startling Twilight.

Twilight mind raced, she had remembered the words Uzuthscktüis and Tzircktstelescktüis from before. Šizra had spoken them when Celestia had noted her failure in hatching Spike. She was sure that the suffix cktüis meant dragon and if she was connecting the dots correctly Šizra had just explained what the prefixes meant. So, if she was right, then Šizra had just revealed that Spike was a 'mana dragon.'

"Millennia after millennia, searching the entire world over dozens upon dozens of times... All with the slimmest of slimmest hopes that maybe others had survived the cataclysm..." Šizra continued, "In time I gave up hope, that I truly was the last of the spark dragons and the last of the alicorns. That if I were to die then all they were would too die... But then a miracle happened Celestia and Luna manage to find a way to ascend and by pure accident a young Tzircktstelescktüis egg is found by one of them..."

Twilight felt a bit ill thinking about it. All those years without another of your kind... How can anypony begin to figure out what that truly must feel... Lonely to be sure... painfully lonely. But then why would he then try to attack his own kind? "So when you had discovered the sudden appearance of a uh 'spark dragon' you were in shock. You jumped to a conclusion that this spark dragon had somehow come into the custody of someone that wasn't also a spark dragon by nefarious means. I mean i suppose I can understand your anger but to resort to violence..."

"Foolish naive child. You understanding nothing!" Šizra sneered, literally snapping his jaws at Twilight. "Violence is just violence; its neither good nor evil. When, were, why, and how those are what makes it good or evil."

"And what of earlier?!" Twilight countered, her anger flaring a bit. "Was not that violence 'evil'?"

"In that you are not wrong..." Šizra admitted, turning to look away.

Twilight sighed. She figured that was as close as she was going to get as an apology, for now at least. And she did get a better understanding what Šizra really was like; extremely short tempered, maybe a bit misguided... and lonely... very lonely.

 _"His sense of justice is different then ours... However none I know are as wise as he..."_

"Šizra... I will allow you to teach Spike... but!" Twilight stomped her hoof for emphasis. "I will have final say on what and how you teach him. Also Equestria is not a lawless nation, you are to control your anger! We have laws against coltnapping and if you had brought up that you suspected that Spike was coltnapped this could have been resolved without the use of 'evil violence.'"

"Very well, I shall differ to your scktrietuls, judgement." Šizra promised after a long pause. "Now leave me be."


	4. Chapter 3: Tu Esi Tas, Üo Tu Ēt

**Chapter 3: Tu Esi Tas, Üo Tu Ēt (You Are What You Eat)**

 _Crush fine quartz between claws and message gently into meat, heat slowly with own flame until charred.~_ Finely Crafted Gem Cuisine for the Fastidious Minded Drake

Spike yawned as he made his way to the castle kitchen. It was a school day and if Twilight's night was as bad as his was she will need coffee, lots of it, a hearty breakfast, and as much sleep as possible. As funny as it was he didn't think she didn't want to fall asleep while lecturing... again. The blackmail material just wasn't worth it.

Spike groaned as he walked into the kitchen to find Šizra rummaging through the pantry. He knew it was him even though he had switched out his cloak for a set of armor that was straight out of Ogres & Oubliettes. Between his armor and sword he wouldn't look out of place at a comic convention. At least it did give him a better view of what Šizra actually looked like. His body, like his head, was mix of dragon and pony characteristics. His front legs were dragon while the back were pony. A pair of dark blue leathery wings hugged his sides, blending into his fur and scales. Unfortunately his flank was covered up so he could not see if he had a cutie mark or not.

"What are you doing here?" Spike growled.

"Examining the larder..." Šizra explained without slowing down, much to Spike irritation. "I wasn't able to complete my assessment yesterday."

 _Great... Another mess I'll have to deal with!_ Spike inwardly moaned. It was always something: Trixie teacups, daily magic experiments going astray, random Pinkie Pie cyclones, and unwanted guests in the form of villains, 'reformed' or otherwise. At least with Pinkie she always left something tasty behind.

"Is this?" Spike gasped in horror as Šizra pulled out a jar of Zap Apple Jam with a look of wonder of his face. "Rainbow Apple Jam?!"

"Hey!" Spike yelled, trying and failing to snatch away the jar. He was saving that for a special occasion! It would be some time before the zap apples would be in season again and it was the one thing pony thing he had 'neglected' to give Sludge and the one thing that he didn't ruin. It was going to take months to replace his comic collection.

"Bah! Stale." Šizra cringed as he put the now open jar down.

"What!?" Spike exclaimed as he grabbed the jar. He really hoped it wasn't stale, it shouldn't be stale. Nothing seems wrong with it after a few sniffs so he dipped a claw to taste it, but again nothing. This only confused him further. To him it smelt and tasted just like a freshly opened jar of zap apple jam.

"I don't what you are saying, it's perfectly fresh."

"'Fresh.'" Šizra snorted before taking a seat at the breakfast table. "Give me a few moments."

Spike rolled his eyes as Šizra closed his eye and began to mumble. At least he wasn't making a mess anymore. Now he just needed to make breakfast and clean up the mess before Twilight awoke. He was not looking forward in being blamed again for someone else's mess.

Luckily it didn't take him very long to clean Šizra's mess and was about to crack some eggs to make his world famous omelettes when a he started hearing a weird intermediate buzzing sound. Šizra didn't seem to be bothered, mumbling away like he had been for the past fifteen or so minutes though he looked a lot worse for wear. His eyes were scrunched up like he was in pain and sweat was just pouring off of him in buckets. If Šizra kept it up Spike figured he would probably need to start bailing out the kitchen before they drowned in an icky pool of sweat. First thing first, he had to find out where that buzzing coming from. It would be no fun if a swarm of twittermites managed to find their way inside the castle.

 _zzzt_

 _Please tell me that is not what I think that is..._ Spike shuttered in fear as he suddenly saw a bunch of black sparks appear in front of Šizra.

Spike blinked as he found himself curiously watching. Every time a spark appeared he could hear the buzzing. Clearly those sparks had to be the source. It seemed a bit strange, even if it was the type of magic he hoped it wasn't, as he had heard all sorts of magic caused sounds thanks to his years with Twilight, but he had never heard spell build up sound like that, except lightening based spells. He really hoped that wasn't what Šizra was trying to do because the last time he was this close to a lightening spell it ended up hitting him and he couldn't taste anything for days. Besides that, he recalled Šizra summoning lightening without this much build up yesterday. Was it possible that his fight yesterday took more out then he let on? Mana exhaustion could cause magic to be more difficult for a couple of days.

So enraptured Spike almost didn't notice that the spell was building up to a crescendo. The sparks were starting to concentrating in one area without dispersing and the buzzing became constant. He had just enough time to duck under one of the stools. But the explosion he was expecting never happened. With trepidation he peeked over the lip of the table to see that Šizra's head was resting on the table, panting hard, a jar of what looked to be zap apple jam in front of him. The jar was exactly where the sparks had been moments before.

"There... _that_... is... fresh..." Šizra huffed.

"Wow." Spike snarked, waving his hands in fake awe. "All that for a bootleg jar of zap apple jam?!"

"Bootleg?"

"You know not the real deal, fake, unauthorized, black-market, _stolen_." Spike listed off with his claws.

"Give it a taste." Šizra slid the jar along with a spoon towards Spike.

"Fine."

Spike eyed the jar for a moment, still unsure. He slowly opened the jar and took a hesitate sniff. The jam did smell stronger then what he was used to. _Here goes nothing..._ He thought as he lifted a spoonful to his lips.

 _"SOOOOOOO GOOOOOD..."_ Spike drooled. He had to have more. Šizra said he to give it a taste... who said how big of a taste that had to be? If hisss tassste was the whole jar then it would all be _hissss_.

"Snap out of your alüatīsa!" Šizra suddenly flicked a claw painfully on the very tip of Spike's snout.

Spike gasped as his mind cleared up. He felt just like he did on his birthday! He never wanted to feel that way again and somehow he fell into it again over a simple spoonful of "fresh" zap apple jam. He was so furious and confused and scared and he wanted to tear into Šizra or hide away but the only thing he could do was utter the strange word that Šizra spoke, "Alolayteza?"

"Alüatīsa, in common it translates to greed."

 _Then say greed instead of however that word is pronounced._ Spike rubbed his face, trying to not scream in frustration. Šizra's voice had that air of hint-hint wink-wink you should know this already. It reminded him of some of Discord's so called 'teaching' methods. He would probably end up tearing out his spines trying to get straight answers. If Discord wasn't so terrified of this guy he would not be surprised that the draconequus hiding somewhere trying not to snicker outloud. "Why are you here?"

"To teach who and what you are."

"Like Tartarus you are!" Spike yelled, slamming close some of the cabinets that Šizra had left open.

 _What was Twilight thinking?!_ Spike thought as he glared at Šizra. This was like Sludge all over except worse! Sludge was merely a charlatan who lie so he could mooch off of their generosity. He hadn't tried tried to murder them all. Also should he have at least some say in all this? Sure he was still a baby dragon by dragon standards but by pony standards he was old enough to sign up for the guard!

"As you wish young one, I shall inform your guardian of your desire."

Spike opened his mouth to protest he but he just froze, a claw in the air, as Šizra words hit him. He was not expecting it to be so easy. An angry rant or some flim flam styled 'negotiation', not a calm acceptance. It threw him for such a loop that he almost didn't notice that Šizra was making his way out of the kitchen.

"Oh no," He protested, rushing to block Šizra's path, "you are not going to wake her up."

"Very well."

"Hey!" Spike shouted, rushing to catch up to Šizra who had switched directions and was now heading down the hall that lead outside. How did he know the way? It took him _weeks_ to find his way around and Šizra was walking as if he had lived here years. "Where are you going now?"

"Sweet Apple Acres." Šizra explained, "The label on your jar said 'Proudly made in Ponyville, Equestria...'"

Spike murmured a few choice words that he hoped Twilight wouldn't hear as he grabbed a scroll and pencil from one of the many hidden note taking stashes and followed. This was not going to turn out good at all. At least it would get Šizra out of the castle, and if needed, correction, when Šizra ended up causing trouble he could send a letter to call for help, if he wasn't killed first.

* * *

Spike was a bit bored. He had expected that a very large stallion in armor in a town even in a town like Ponyvile would have caused some sort of reaction or that at the least Pinkie popping up because of the 'new pony' in town. But not a single slamming shutter or turn of the head, nothing. It was almost as if Šizra was invisible.

"They planted a grove of them!?" Šizra exclaimed, suddenly veering off the main path through Sweet Apple Acres.

Spike was taken aback; it almost sounded as if Šizra was panicking just a bit. Here was a pony, well part pony, that, if Discord's claims were true, made the Elements and could take on Twilight, Starlight, Discord and Princess Celestia without any trouble scared of a few zap apple trees?! "Yeah a grove of zap apple trees... that's where zap apples come from. Where else do you expect them to get zap apples from?"

"But I see no poison joke and I can't smell even a trace of timberwolf."

Spike blinked as he watched Šizra pace from tree to tree. He was aware of the timberwolf's role with zap apples but what did poison joke have to do with it? And why is he licking the bark? This was straight out Pinkie level of nonsense, and he was sure that the explanation about what he was doing would also be Pinkie Pie nonsense.

"Young one," Spike gritted his teeth as Šizra suddenly addressed him. He had a name. Why did Šizra insist on using 'young one?' "Do you know how long these trees have been here?"

"I don't know, fifty, sixty years..." Spike scratching his chin, trying to remember the exact details. He was sure it was few years before the founding of Ponyville but that was about it. Maybe if Granny Smith's stories did ramble on worse then Twilight's lectures... "You'll have to ask one of the Apples..."

"What are you doin' here?" Spike nearly jumped. He had been so absorbed in Šizra's bizarre behavior that he didn't notice Applejack's approach.

"Simple question how long has this grove been here?"

"Na of yah business." AJ snarled, her eyes narrowing.

"Cultivation of what you call zap apples is extremely difficult..."

"Yah darn tootin' it is. Now git. An' don' make me repeat mahself."

"I don't think you truly understand how difficult or how _dangerous_." Šizra continued as if AJ hadn't objected. "When I first saw your zap apple jam I was surprised that somepony had not only managed to find one of the groves of zap apples in the Everfree but had figured out the often silly and random steps needed to make it into jam. Then I tasted it..."

AJ narrowed her eyes even more. Spike cringed, he knew what was coming. One thing you learned real fast was never dis anything apple related, especially anything from Sweet Apple Acres, in front of her.

"It was stale."

"You low down dirty little varmint!" AJ growled, stepping forward in her anger and pride, clearly having forgotten what Šizra was capable of. "You take that..."

Spike took a step away as Šizra causally took out the jar of zap apple jam that nearly caused a greed growing relapse. He wanted nothing to do with that evil concoction. Before AJ could get another word out Šizra scooped out some and shoved it into her opened mouth.

"It can't be..." AJ muttered in shock, her lip quivering. "Who made this Zap Apple Jam Ah demand to know! Was is it Flim Flam!? Ah swear..."

"Shut up and listen!" Šizra snapped. "'Zap' apples don't follow normal life cycle rules. If one took a zap apple from a grove then planted its seeds those trees will be at the same point in the cycle as the parent tree. For example take a seed from a tree that is five harvests from death the child tree will not have a full life but will be five harvests from death. Staleness of the apples is the first sign, _the only sign_ , that occurs seventy-five harvests before death of the trees. Trees as in the entire grove. The grove is born and dies as one."

"When this grove of zap apple dies," Šizra gestured to the zap apple trees, "there will be a magic backlash that will kill the land in a radius from here to the crystal tree castle. I suggest you find someone highly skill in aura magic and fast to lift the entire grove along with the dirt around it then take it all deep into the Everfree, preferably to the same grove where you first found them."

Spike rolled his eyes Šizra was just like a 'helping' Discord. A bunch of rambling convoluted nonsense hiding what he was trying to 'teach.' What exactly was 'aura' magic anyway and how would removing the grove back into the Everfree help? And can that even be done? Even he knew how the trees don't like magic beings used on them.

"Ah get what yah tryin' to do..." AJ finally spoke after a few moments of stunned silence. "You tried to take Spike away by force bu' that didn't work so now yah trin' to sweet talk us like we're honey crazed flies."

"Call me a thief again I dare you." Šizra hissed, his sword appearing in a shower of black sparks. "Because I will make you wish I had ended your life yesterday."

"Šizra!"

Spike head snapped over to see Twilight walking towards them, and from the look on her face she was angry. Did she hear what Šizra had said? She had to, at least, see Šizra threaten AJ with his sword.

"Twilight!" Spike ran to her in relief.

"Spike, are you okay?"

"Did you really give permission to have Šizra teach me?"

Twilight sighed as she hugged Spike. "I don't like it anymore then you do..."

Spike sniffed as he felt his emotions swell, but there was one word that came to mind. "W-why?"

"Princess Celestia..."

Spike groaned. _Not this again!_ This was worse than with Discord. At least giving him a chance to change made a tiny bit of sense. When Discord first escaped his antics were more about making sure he wasn't petrified into stone again. He hadn't tried to kill them all.

"There will be no teaching," Šizra interrupted, startling both Twilight and Spike as he had managed to approach them without them noticing, "at least not from me."

"Šizra?" Twilight questioned, looking a bit confused.

"Spike has refused instruction from me." Šizra explained. "I will honor his wishes as should you. Have faith that Cktüis Zuserthators Ember will find a more suitable instructor."

"Then why are you still here?" Spike hissed, crossing his arms angrily.

"Spike!"

"Remember, young one, that I said I was going to let you guardian know?" Šizra reminded. Spike put a comforting hand on Twilight's side when she shivered as Šizra's cloak appeared in a shower of black sparks. He had the same reaction when he first saw the sparks. "Now that I have I shall take my leave. Goodbye Twilight, Spike."

"AJ what was Šizra doing here anyway?" Spike tuned out the rest as he kept a close eye on Šizra as he walked through the orchard. He didn't even blink as it became clear that he was heading towards the Everfree. It was fitting place for someone like him. With any luck he would never saw the likes of him again.


	5. Chapter 4: Thezaitīta Tiüšathās

**Chapter 4: Thezaitīta Tiüšathās (An Unexpected Meeting)**

 _Never cause a dragon pain they shall never forget nor forgive._ ~ Unknown

* * *

 _...I am familiar with the name Šizra. Never met him personally but I did hear whispered tales of him, a sort of real life bogeypony if one would to believe the aristocracy... And I think we can both agree that no matter the age the aristocracy do like their tall tales. Unfortunately, I can't recall any details._

 _As to your other question on the origins of the crystal seed that became the Tree of Harmony. I'm afraid I can't verify the validity of Discord's claim. The seed was originally Stygian's not mine. Given the subject matter and his current mental state I doubt that Stygian will be able to tell us anything for sometime, if ever... Damn that shadow demon!_

 _I'm sorry Twilight, I just don't have the answers you are seeking, but keep looking. I have faith that if anypony can figure this matter out it is you._

 _Your Friend_

 _Starswirl_

Twilight huffed as she finished re-reading Starswirl's letter for the twelfth time. Another in a long line of dead ends when it came to Šizra and the Tree of Harmony. If only the Pony of Shadows hadn't left Stygian mentally so weak. Then the guilt and the stresses of being removed from all he knew wouldn't had caused his weak psyche to collapse. Thankfully, last she heard he was making some progress in recovery but very slowly and she was not yet to the point that she would risk jeopardizing that.

*knock knock*

"Headmistress Sparkle?"

"Hmmm?!" Twilight snapped out of her contemplation to see that her office door was opening.

Twilight blushed as she looked over her office. It was a complete mess. There were stacks of books and scrolls along with an overflowing trash can filled with half eaten takeout food containers. Judging from the amount and the smell she had to been held up in her office for at least four days. Had she really been in here since classes were dismissed last Thursday?

"Headmistress, are you okay?" Cozy Glow questioned as she cautiously peaked through her office door.

"Yes I... I just had a lot of work to catch up on and I lost track of time." Twilight anxiously smiled, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment, hoping that Cozy glow wouldn't pry any further. While that was true she was swamped with work, more so than usual, she didn't want to panic Cozy Glow with the full truth of what some of that work entailed. She already had to deal with Chancellor Neighsay once again trying to shut down her school. This time over 'safety' after word of their battle with Šizra got out. "But nothing you need to worry about. Is there something you need Cozy Glow?"

"Well I was in Counselor Starlight's office going over my lessons and well I... I don't want to bore you with the details as you must be really busy..." Cozy giggled nervously as she fully entered the office. Twilight gently motioned for her to continue, understanding that Cozy needed some encouragement to get over her nervousness. "Anyway, she asked me if I could retrieve the final list for the Cloudsdale trip for her."

"Oh, of course..." Twilight nodded. Luckily she made sure to do that before she started her research binge so that would mean that it would most likely be in one of her desk drawers. But as she leaned back in her chair to get a better angle to pull out the drawer a familiar sharp pain shot through her wings. She had once again forgotten to make sure keep her wings limber when she was on a research binge. At least this time she remembered to sleep and eat.

"Ohh ouch, wing cramps, I get those all the time when I study for too long with out taking a break. I find that going for a short flight always helps."

Twilight hmmed as she looked up at her office clock. There was a still few hours before her first class so she had time to go for a small flight. Besides that she could use some fresh air to clear her head. "I will, thanks Cozy. Here's the list. Please let Counselor Starlight know that I am going for a short flight and will return before my first class."

"Will do Headmistress!"

* * *

Twilight exhaled in relief as she soared over the trees. Cozy's idea was a good one, all the stress of the past week was just fading away. Maybe she should take up Rainbow's offer of joining her for her morning routine... at least the cool down portion... She didn't have the speed or the coordination for everything else Rainbow did.

Twilight stopped to a hover when familiar ruins, the Castle of the Two Sisters, suddenly appeared over the tree tops. _How did I get here?!_ She had somehow flown differently then she had planed. The plan was for her to take a short fly over the Whitetail Woods which was in the complete opposite direction of the Everfree.

Twilight grumbled as she spiraled down toward the cave of the Tree of Harmony. She had been obsessing over Šizra and the Tree of Harmony for the past week so of course she would subconsciously fly towards the tree. She figured she might as well check out the tree while she was here. She sighed as she walked into the cave and gazed upon the Tree of Harmony. Even though the tree still looked as brilliant as always and the Elements still in place in the branches a small part of her had hoped at least something would be out of place. It would be something more tangible then the frustratingly fleeting and obscured historical references to Šizra and the Tree of Harmony.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

Twilight yelped, near jumping into the air from the unexpected, intruding voice. She turned to see a familiar, cloaked figure near the entrance of the cave. "Šizra!? I thought you had left..."

"I wanted to investigate the crystal caves under Canterlot first..." Šizra commented, walking past Twilight and towards the Tree of Harmony.

"Did you find anything?" Twilight could feel a lump in her throat as she asked, watching as Šizra laid a paw on the trunk of the tree. She knew that the chances of finding anything substantial long after the fact was not going to be good. A small part of her still hoped that maybe Spike's family was out there somewhere. That there had to be another explanation other then the nest and egg was abandoned so therefore Spike's parent's were dead.

"I confirmed what Celestia inferred. The caves were at one point a tzircktstelescktüis nesting ground and that Spike's family is dead."

Twilight sighed sadly. The news that he didn't find anything different then Celestia wasn't that surprising to her but their conclusions bothered her. "How can you be so sure?"

Šizra slowly turned to face Twilight. Twilight licked her lips as Šizra stared at her. The longer he stared the more it felt as if he was measuring her up, unsure of whether to answer her plea or not.

"There were very specific distortions indicative of alicorn spellcraft and based on the thaum degradation..."

"The Princesses... would never..." Twilight snapped, angry that Šizra would claim that the Princess would have had a hoof in something so vile. Even Luna when she was under the influence of Nightmare Moon never did something like that. She saw the transformation and subsequent fight with Celestia there wasn't time... unless...

"Did I say it was Luna or Celestia? They are pretenders... _fake._ They. weren't. born. alicorn." Šizra sneered as he stomped right up to Twilight. She swallowed in fear as she shrunk back from his now overbearing glare. She could swear that his red eyes' glow intensified. "They don't have the intrinsic urge nor the know how to naturally use all three types of mana at the same time. You too are not a true born alicorn. You used no earthen or sky mana in your shield. If you had my sword would not had pierced it so easily."

"The distortions I found had all three characteristics." Šizra continued to explain, walking away from Twilight and allowing her to get back onto her hooves, if only a bit shakily. "And if you had let me finish I would have also revealed that it occurred between twenty eight and twenty five thousand years ago. Celestia and Luna ages are a tenth of that."

Twilight sniffed as Šizra's words sunk in. So it was far worse then she could have imagined. Spike had been alone for many thousands of years... Alone, deep in a dark cave, and the only reason he was ever found and hatched was by pure luck. If there wasn't a need for crystals and the cave of crystals hadn't been under Canterlot...

"It was fascinating to hear that ponies of all creatures were raising a dragon." Šizra suddenly spoke, interrupting Twilight's lamentations. "A herding, prey race that has traditionally despised other 'lesser' races for not being them raising one of another race! And not just any race but dragon, the greatest apex predator this world has even known!"

"It was the right thing to do..." Twilight murmured, almost to herself.

"Ponies doing the right thing." Šizra slowly enunciated with a sight growling undertone, his glare upon Twilight once again. "I have lived over twenty-five thousand years and I can count the number of times that has happened on just _one_ my of feathered wings.

Twilight blinked at the strange use of the idiom as Šizra didn't have feathery wings. Was he implying that ponies never do the right thing? If that was true, then why did he in search the world as much as he did all for 'the slimmest of slimmest hopes that maybe others had survived the cataclysm...'? And why he called Celestia and Luna's ascensions a miracle? Why did he talk about his race with joy one time only to be bitter about his race the next time? Was this sudden bitterness because he discovered it was ponies that killed Spike's parents?

"I guess if there was one good thing that came from Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola's rampage..." Šizra casually spoke, either not noticing or not caring about Twilight ever increasing confused expression. "It gave your race the ability to start over if only partially the truth still shines a bit through the lies... About when did Hearth's Warming occur?"

"About one thousand to one thousand fifty years ago... the exact year is debated..." Twilight answered, wondering where Šizra was going with his question. What did Hearth's Warming have to do with ponies not doing the right thing? Or was he talking about something else? It was hard to tell as the way he had been talking was more like he was merely thinking out loud and not trying to make any specific point.

"About one thousand to one thousand fifty years ago..." Šizra repeated before walking up and whispering into her ear. "Clearly you have not been told the full extent of Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola's crimes otherwise your answer would have had a number closer to two thousand five hundred."

"Two thousand five hundred!? But that is impossible because..." Twilight objection died on her lips as saw Šizra's black aura suddenly envelope the Element of Kindness. Her eyes widen in shock and disbelief as she saw the Element of Kindness pop out of the tree with ease.

"You have... but it... that is... but... WHAT?!" Twilight sputtered, trying to put into words at what seem incomprehensible to her. She had just seen Šizra remove the Element of Kindness from the tree like it was nothing. It just didn't make sense to her. How could someone so hot tempered and while using what could very well be dark magic be able to remove any of the elements much less the Element of Kindness from the Tree of Harmony? And so easily!? Even Discord in the height of his power was unable to effect the Tree of Harmony until the thousand years without the Elements had weakened it enough for his plunderseeds to germinate.

 _"BECAUSE HE MADE THE ELEMENTS! THE CASTLE! THE MAP!"_ Discord's panicked shout echoed in her mind.

"You took the Element of Kindness from the tree!?" Twilight finally shouted wildly gesturing to the Element in Šizra's black aura.

"Yes I did, and I will return it to its place once I'm done with it."

"But, but..." Twilight objected, trying to frantically find the right words to say. "You- you can't have... Discord has to be mistaken! How could some creature with your disposition..."

"I caution believing everything that proceeds from Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola's mouth..." Šizra suggested as he slowly walked out of the cave. "I shall remain in Equestria a few days longer. I want to finish my investigation. If I find anything more of relevance I will leave a scroll."


	6. Chapter 5: Thojauüt Süola Seüas

**Chapter 5: Thojauüt Süola Seüas (School Raze Aftermath)**

 _There is no rage nor fury, like a dragon scorned._ ~Various

Twilight gazed up as a wave of blue energy past through her and her friends. Her somber mood instantly turned happy as she could see and feel her magic course through her once again. She had no idea why magic had returned but with it back she could teleport her friends and Spike back to school to confront Cozy Glow. When a uplifted heart she gazed at her friends before gathering her mana and teleporting them back to the school.

A flash later and they were teleported to the school courtyard. Twilight was a bit surprised when she saw that she managed to luck out and teleport them right to Cozy Glow. Cozy Glow was surrounded by several students and for just a infinitesimal moment Twilight could also see fury on Cozy Glow's face before it was replaced by surprise and then fake relief. "I mean... Yay! All my friends are safe!"

"You can drop the act, Cozy Glow!" Applejack angrily confronted Cozy, pointing an accusatory hoof at the young pegasus. "Your pen pal Tirek told us all about how he helped you suck up all that magic!"

"But I still don't understand why." Twilight questioned.

"Why?!" Cozy Glow growled, her eyes bulging out. "Because friendship is power! You might be the Princess of Friendship, but as headmare of this school, I can collect even more friends than _you_!"

" _You're_ the one who doesn't get it, Cozy. " Twilight countered, sadden that she had failed to teach Cozy the real meaning and purpose of friendship. "Friendship _is_ powerful, but power isn't why you make friends. I'm sorry I couldn't teach you that."

"Well, you taught us." Twilight looked over to see that Gallus along with, Silverstream, Smolder, Yona, Sandbar, and Ocellus approaching her.

"You can't let one bad apple make you think you failed." Silverstream added.

"And we never could've stopped her if we hadn't learned what you taught us about friendship." Sandbar pointed out.

Twilight smiled proudly as she was surround by them, their words uplifting. At least some good came out of this mess. Now if she could get Cozy Glow to see the error of her ways...

"Honesty? Loyalty? Generosity? Blah-blah-blah!" Cozy Glow sneered. "I can make more friends without using any of them! And if I can't do it here, I'll..."

Cozy Glow paused as she jumped-flew over Twilight and her friends. But she was unable to escape nor finish her rant. Without warning a sword fell from the sky piercing into her back all the way to hilt and pinning her flat to the ground. Twilight gasped in shock then screamed in horror. What Cozy Glow did was evil but to for her to be killed like that?! She needed to be punished but there was no need to punish her evil with more evil... Whoever had done this had to be evil. The sword even looked evil, decorated in the way it was. At least she really hoped that the teeth and jaw bones weren't real.

"Hold on Cozy Glow."

Fluttershy's cry pulled Twilight's gaze from the sword to a new horror. Cozy, even after being nearly bisected in half, was inexplicably still alive if one could even call struggling to breath and being in immense pain alive. She was about to tell Rainbow Dash to fly to the hospital to get help when Šizra slammed down between Fluttershy and Cozy.

"Do not... touch her."

Fluttershy screamed as she scrambled back to cower behind AJ who stepped forward to help shield her. The first aid kit Fluttershy had forgotten on the ground.

"Šizra you had no right!" Twilight shouted, putting two and two together and figuring out it was him that had stabbed Cozy. "She is just a child!"

"Don't... care." Šizra panted as he lower his hood of his cloak.

Twilight jaw nearly dropped at how disheveled Šizra looked. Sweat had matted his mane down, partially covering his bloodstained eyes. Bits of forth dripped down from his snout as he breathed hard. He was displaying all the classic symptoms of extreme overexertion. For a moment she became worried. Didn't he know that remaining wrapped up like that was only making it worse for himself?

 _Wait, why am I worried about him!?_

"Did.. you think... I was going to stand idle while another pony idiotic quest for power... threatens to destroy the whole world?" Šizra questioned, his breathing beginning to stabilize as he spoke.

"No, but to..."

"Where is the yellow and pink pegasus?" Šizra interrupted, gazing around, terrifying those who came under his sight.

"You leave Fluttershy alone!" Rainbow threatened, though it was clear that she was fighting back her own fear.

"Tell me," Šizra challenged, "where is Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola, the one you know as 'Discord?'"

"Same goes for Discord!"

"This featherbrain," Šizra sneered, unmoved by the insulted and angry looks upon all the pegasi in the crowd, "decided to be indiscriminate and suck up all magic. _All magic_ not just the type of magic that allows unicorn to cast spells, pegasi to walk on clouds, or earth ponies to grow crops easily... Pony life without magic would be harder but would be possible..."

"That being said," Šizra leaned down towards Twilight, his eyes narrowing, "for others like Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola, a being made of pure mana... no magic means... do I need to spell it out?"

Fluttershy gasped then started to cry muttering no over and over.

"It's okay sugarcube," AJ gently rubbed Fluttershy's back, trying to console her. "Discord is fine. He had his magic taken from him before when Tirek escaped and lived, remember?"

Šizra raised an eyebrow at that but before he could say anything a regiment of royal guard flew in and surrounded him and Cozy Glow. A moment later Chancellor Neighsay and Princesses Celestia and Luna arrived. A look of surprise past the princesses' eyes upon seeing Šizra but turned to revulsion upon seeing Cozy Glow's body lying on the ground behind with a sword in her back.

"Šizra what have you done!?" Celestia demanded.

"Princess... please.. help me..."

Princess Celestia looked like she was about to move to assist when Šizra held up a paw.

"Do you know why I stopped the yellow and pink pegasus Fluttershy from touching you?" Šizra softly spoke slowly lying down in front of Cozy. Twilight rubbed her eyes as she watched, having the hardest time believing what she was witnessing Šizra acting paradoxically gentle with the very pony he had skewered. "The sword SoulSunder has a nasty curse attached and if anyone touched you they too would also fall victim to the curse..."

"Please..." Cozy Glow begged, tears streaming down her face. A single line of blood dripping down the corner of her mouth.

"There is nothing anyone can do for you. I suppose... except, maybe, end your misery by removing the sword." Twilight swallowed some bile as Šizra continued in the same soft gentle voice. "It would accelerate the curse from slowly to instantaneously burning your entire being... body... soul... and spirit."

"You used a sword that burns a creature's entire being!?" Celestia shouted angrily, the tips of her mane turning red and yellow. Twilight gulped a bit, she had never seen her this angry before. "This time you have gone too far Šizra!"

"Too far... TOO FAR!?" Šizra started to laugh darkly, at first softly but then it rose to full blow manic. "How many must die before you act? Or will you only act when one of your _little ponies_ is in danger?"

"Šizra, I don't..." Celestia tried to counter.

"I've had to live through horrors you _saccharin_ loving creatures can't even imagine in your worse Luna forsaken nightmares! Every time I walk out of my home I bare witness to the malstrom that not only killed every last alicorn besides myself, but nearly torn asunder the very world itself and may still! All of it caused by the same line of thinking and the exact type of magic your precious little pony used." Šizra growled. Twilight trembled as she watched Šizra get to his hooves/paws. It was clear to her that this wasn't like before when Šizra thought Spike was a victim of foalnapping. Then his anger was almost animalistic, like he lost himself in his emotional instinct, now everything single movement and every word screamed cold, calculated fury. "AND YOU DARE TO CALL WHAT I DID AS 'TOO FAR!?'"

With a roar Šizra pulled SoulSunder from Cozy Glow who much to everyone's horror immediately collapsed into a pile of ash. Before anyone could react further he had jumped past the guard that had encircled him and rushed Celestia.

"Give me one good reason that I should't end you and your pathetic race right here, right now!" Šizra spat, holding the sword to her neck.

 _ **Šizra!**_ A shout vibrated loudly across the courtyard.

Twilight looked around, trying to find the source of the voice but couldn't see anyone other then students and royal guard. She doubted any of them challenged him, not after what he did to Cozy Glow. She just hoped that whomever it was had the power to do something otherwise...

Suddenly she saw some movement just out of her sight but before she could see who or what was causing it Ocellus gasped before whispering in awe. "T-The Tree of Harmony?"

"The Tree of Harmony?" Twilight questioned as she watched the crowd of students and royal guards part to allow a sparkling, glowing red dragoness to pass. From the fact that it was semi-transparent lead her to believe that it was some sort of mana construct. Ocellus was not the only one to seem recognize the construct as the rest of her group of friends, sometimes affectionately known as the young six after her own friends, reacted as if they knew the dragon.

The construct look remarkably similar to Dragon Lord Ember except for the aforementioned deep red scales, slightly wider snout, and a small black horn jutting up from the tip of said snout. But why would the Tree of Harmony, as Ocellus claimed it was, make itself known using that form? Given the tree previous semi sentient actions it wasn't too surprising... but, then again, why a dragon!? _And why now?_ Twilight wondered. It would make sense if Šizra really created the Tree of Harmony but then that left the question as to why would it be angry with him... unless she merely just thought the voice she heard was angry. It wouldn't be the first time she misheard someone's emotions.

As the construct walked past Ocellus and her friends it smiled and nodded to each, affectionately running a paw over Smolder's head. But as it turned to to face Šizra the smile fell to a deep frown.

"Say your piece but do not torment me with the visions of the dead." Šizra softly spoke while keeping 'SoulSunder' to Celestia's neck.

'Tree of Harmony': ** _Let's not let your anger get you lost_**

Twilight's jaw dropped in utter disbelief. This wasn't a time for a song! Šizra had a soul destroying blade to Celestia's neck! Worse still it was clear that it was having a negative effect on Šizra who she could see had became even more tense.

 ** _And the need to be right comes with way too high a cost_**

 _ **Know that love can build a bridge of light**_

 _ **That's what turns the wrongs so right**_

 _ **That's when you know it's worth the fight...**_

Šizra suddenly lowered SoulSunder from Celestia's neck who, along with several others, breathed a sigh of relief before he sang a few words himself.

Šizra: _**'Cause only love can build us a bridge of light**_

 ** _You disappoint me, Šizra._** The dragon construct finally spoke, breaking the silence that had fallen after the heartsong ended. Šizra immediately shrunk down from the stern rebuke. To Twilight it was a strange sight to see the violent sociopath shake in fear like he was a young foal in trouble with his parent. _**Have you so easily forgotten what you have been taught?**_

"No, I..."

 _ **Šizra! No excuses!**_ The dragon apparition roared, causing Šizra to whimper. _**Those responsible have long been gone from this world do not continually attribute your pain and loss to the children who know nothing and had no part in their ancestor's sins!**_

Šizra whimpered some more but said nothing as the construct rubbed its forehead.

 _ **Šizra, you are half tzircktstelescktüis, trained in the Staizāt tho CktüisSirts. You have a duty and you nearly broke it tonight! Threatening Princess Celestia of Equestria with SoulSunder just because you are mad at her being appalled at your use of it? Had it occurred to you that you could have carried out the same justice against Cozy Glow with just Leafcutter? And do I have to explain to you, of all creatures, about what is wrong with genocide!?**_

The construct paused as if it was expecting Šizra to answer but he just stared down at the ground, silent.

 _ **Well? Do you have anything to say?**_

Šizra sniffed before whispering. "Did you abandon him as an egg to test me?"

 ** _What kind of a question is that?_** The dragon projection questioned, a look of hurt on her face. _**Do you really see us as that cruel? That we would knowingly hide a tzircktstelescktüis egg that escaped the genocide to test you with it?!**_

"No... I just..." Šizra shook his head, tears dripping down his muzzle.

Twilight eyes narrowed as she saw the tears glittering in the moonlight. Given her past experiences with his volatile behavior she was not sure whether the tears were genuine or not, and a quick glance around told her she was not the only one struggling with this as some were staring at him angrily while other were tearing up themselves. Either way, getting Šizra to stand down was a enough for the moment. What to do about Šizra could wait until after the danger had passed and she was not yet ready to say it had passed.

 _ **I know. I know...**_ The dragon sighed. _**But you can't be like the alicorns of old, be better. Be a Dragon! Don't let your emotions override your better judgement like it has recently as I will not be able to stop you from dishonor again.**_

"Please... don't go..." Šizra half sobbed, for the first time looking up to the construct. "I... I don't want to lose you again..."

 _ **Šizra...**_ The dragon cupped Šizra's muzzle for a moment before stepping away, the projection starting to fade away. _**My son... Var jūs atthest zots uz Jo Salss.**_

Šizra reached out with a paw just as the projection disappeared. A deafening silence fell over the courtyard for a moment before it was broken by Šizra who raised his head and roared. It was so loud and powerful that it to Twilight it made Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice seem like Fluttershy whispering. The roar continued for a long time before finally sputtering out. Šizra then convulsed, sobbing once or twice, before slowly getting to his hooves. Several students and even a few royal guard scrambled to get out of his way as he made his way out of the school courtyard, the tip of SoulSunder, still gripped in his foreleg, scraping against the ground.


	7. Chapter 6: Acktšausāla Leülējuls

**Chapter 6: Acktšausāla Leülējuls (A Dubious Quest)**

 _So, you say you know the motivation of a dragon? ... You don't._ ~ Unknown

Twilight stared at the tea slowly swirling in the cup in front of her not really in the mood for it. She understood why tea had been served she just couldn't bring herself to drink any. Cozy Glow may had nearly stolen all the magic in Equestria but she was just a child and to watch helplessly as Šizra coldly destroy Cozy Glow's entire being disturbed her. There was no amount of tea that was going to change that.

"Gah," Rainbow yelled, rising into the air, "why are we sitting around sipping tea instead of going after Šizra?!"

Twilight cringed as Celestia slowly lower her cup as she turned to face Rainbow Dash. She had noticed that Celestia had been practically gulping her tea down, something she almost never did. As someone who knew her quite well she knew that it meant her usually ever calm demeanor was about to break. If Rainbow Dash wasn't careful she would find herself facing Celestia's ire.

"How do you propose we 'go after Šizra?'" Celestia questioned, quickly raising a hoof to stop Rainbow Dash from answering. She held eye contact with Rainbow for a moment before breaking it to pick up her tea once again. "And more importantly when we find him how do we... take him down? Even if Šizra is suffering from overexertion as Twilight has surmised he will still be very dangerous."

"I don't know!" Rainbow Dash gestured wildly, her voice rising. "Use the Elements or combine your magic like when Tirek and use the Elements use time magic ANYTHING BUT SIPPING TEA!"

"Ah much as ah want to buck 'im to tha moon ah don' think tha' Elements will work Rainbow Dash, remebah tha' Discord said Šizra who created the Elements? Ah'm sure he knows how to protect 'imself from them."

"I'm so sure Šizra created the Elements..." Twilight reluctantly countered, feeling ever eye boring down on her. "Do you remember the dragon construct?"

"The one our students said was the Tree of Harmony?" Rarity questioned thoughtfully before taking a sip of her tea.

"The same..."

"So?" Rainbow Dash snapped, now directing her irritation towards Twilight.

"It call him son. Not father... creator, or even master. So, why then would the creation call the creator son?"

"Twilight are you bucking blind?! "Rainbow Dash groaned, slapping a hoof to her forehead. "Clearly Šizra was tricking us!"

"Mmmm... you may be right Twi..." AJ rubbed the base of her chin, "He did seem a might scared of the dragon... if ah think back he did look like somepony bein' scolded by his mother."

"AJ are you kidding me? Have you forgotten that..."

Twilight sighed as she tuned out the building argument between Rainbow and AJ over if that was the truth or not and what they should do about it. She understood both of her friends view points. It could be a trick like Rainbow argued. Šizra hadn't exactly been the most trustworthy of creatures... But then AJ did have a point as well his reaction seem genuine. The problem facing them there was too much uncertainty in the evidence. Discord could very well be correct as he had been unusually serious when he made the claim that Šizra was the one that created the Elements. But he had made it originally under extreme duress and she knew from her own experience when she couldn't find a friendship problem that the mind under extreme duress could jump to erroneous conclusions. Also, just because he could use them technically did not mean he created them. Finally there was the dragon construct which, just a few hours before, berated Šizra for his actions.

Even she would agree, without any reservation, that there was no way that the construct was truly Šizra's mother, but there was something that gave her pause in saying that is was merely a trick by Šizra to elicit sympathy. There was a certain quirk, a well known flaw with enchanting, that could give explanation to how the construct identified itself as Šizra's mother and to Discord's belief that the Elements were Šizra's creation...

"Oh, Ooh I know why don't we just ask Discord?!" Pinkie Pie suddenly piped up, interrupting Twilight's train of thought. "He seems to know a lot of the Tree of Harmony and the Elements. He can clear this up in a jiffy."

"And how do we do that Pinkie?" Rainbow countered. "Its not like he ever shows up when we need him unless its ogres and oubliettes and the next session isn't until next week."

"What about his tea time with Fluttershy?" Pinkie Pie bounced, happily giving another suggestion. "Surely you have a way to contact him?"

"Well... um... Šizra really spooked him... so... um we haven't had tea in some time..." Fluttershy sputtered out, trying to hide from all the stares behind her mane. "But... Discord did leave me something..."

"What is it?" Rainbow Dash questioned as she fly down and shook Fluttershy.

"Well... um..." Fluttershy continued to fumble with her words, her fur turning redder by the second, "It's a heart shaped locket... with Discord's picture inside..."

Fluttershy eeped as Rainbow Dash flew off at near rainboom speed, a blast of air whipping around the enclosed room. Twilight mentally counted down to ten and true to form Rainbow Dash busted back through the doors exactly as she finished her countdown.

"Okay, so, now what?" Rainbow Dash asked as she hoofed over a small locket to Fluttershy.

"Well... he said if ever I wanted to um... well if ever I needed him he told me I had to snap open and shut the locket in a specific manner."

"Will it still work?" Rainbow bit her lip, looking with unease towards Twilight.

Twilight shrugged, pushing aside the urge to to point out that the loss of magic could have broken the enchantment. Assuming that Discord 'enchanted' the locket to begin with.

Fluttershy gulped, then quickly opened and shut the locket five times. Twilight had to resist the urge to facehoof when she heard the rhythm. _Of course he would have her do something silly like have her open and close the locket to the tune 'Shave and a Marecut.'_ She assumed that the traditional two note 'answer' would probably be Discord appearing in a flash and two snaps. But to her surprise nothing happened.

"L-let me try again." Flutterhsy stuttered as she attempted a second time and then several more times each more frantically then the attempt before.

Twilight surreptitiously reached out and much to her relief there was chaos magic emanating from the locket as Fluttershy was snapping it, though it seemed a bit weak. Whether that was by intention or a byproduct of magic being sucked away(even though it had returned) she knew not. She hadn't had time to research the effects of the loss of magic given that there was no time to do so. Never mind that chaos magic had always been a bit difficult to quantify, if at all.

"Fluttershy..." Rarity gently put a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder.

"NO!" Flutterhsy shouted angrily before bawling. "He... He can't be gone!"

Twilight was about to move to console Fluttershy that maybe the locket was not functioning properly due to mana loss when she was blinded by a familiar flash. Blinking she looked up to see Discord sleepily floating above the map, a yellow and pink nightcap on his head.

"Sorry Fluttershy for taking so long. At first I didn't hear your call. I think I might have accidentally left it on vibrate, again, and then somepony whom I'm not going to name... cough Starswirl cough closed off my dimension from..." Discord paused as he gazed around, his eyes going wide. "Okay... whatever you think I may or may not have done I had nothing to do with it."

"Discord!" Flutterhsy cried as she lunged at him. "I thought you were dead and... and..."

"Um..." Discord awkwardly started to pet Fluttershy head as she buried herself into his fur crying, "somepony want to fill me in?"

Twilight sighed before she went on to explain the events the past few days starting from the mysterious failing of Starlight's cloud walking spell three days ago to to the death of Cozy Glow only a few hours previously. All the while Discord slowly lost all color, literally draining from him and pooling on the table and floor below him. Once she was done no one said a word for sometime. As it was she dare not feeling very nauseous for having to repeat the awful events in detail once again.

"Yeah..." Discord finally broke the silence, rubbing the back of his neck with his eagle paw. "Glad I decided to stay at home this week and binge watch all thirteen seasons Discord's Got Talent."

Twilight blinked then shook her head. She was not going to even try and figure out whatever nonsense Discord had been up to.

"So..." Discord droned, lightly stroking his goat beard, "was this just a welfare check or was there something else? Please say the former. I really want to see who won the ninth season."

"Discord..." Celestia began.

"No."

Celestia blinked, a confused look on her face. "I have yet to even explain..."

"I know what you want. You want me to track down Šizra." Discord interrupted Celestia a second time. "And if Twilight told you everything like the tattle tale she is then you know that if Šizra finds out about my involvement in Tirek's escape..."

Twilight cringed as she remember that Applejack had let it slip that Tirek had escaped before... Thankfully the Princesses and the Royal Guard had arrived before Šizra could discover the fact that Discord had helped, at least for a while, Tirek. She hadn't forgotten those ominous words Šizra spoke about Discord.

 _'Next time it will be my sword that ends it.'_

"All the more the reason you need to help us."

"Why? So you can stone him like you did me?" Discord snarled, whipping around to stare down at Twilight.. "Or throw him into the deepest and darkest pit in Tartarus? Or... or maybe... you will finally end your long standing aversion to killing and have him executed? No."

"Discord this isn't a joke." Celestia nearly growled out. "This is a serious matter! Šizra didn't just kill a child he destroyed her entire being!"

"Do I look like I'm joking around? Or that I don't know the seriousness of your 'situation?'" Discord growled as he slowly crossed his arms, "Personally, she got off way too easy."

Twilight jaw dropped. Discord was defending Šizra actions. The same Šizra that threatened to kill him. What was wrong with him!?

"Let me make sure I heard you right..." Celestia began, her mane beginning to whip around a bit more then usual.

But before Celestia could finish or for Discord to respond the map table flashed. No one spoke as they watched Twilight's cutiemark along with Spike's head appear above the map. For a few tense moments the two danced around, moving all over the map before finally setting above a specific spot.

Twilight groaned when she saw where the map wanted Spike and her to go: Tartarus. She could not understand of all the places the map could send them it would send them there!? What possible reason could there be for the map to send them there? It made no sense as the map had always led them to a friendship problem. And if it was why should they fix it? It was a prison dimension for those too dangerous and too unrepentant. This was not like with Stygian...

"You want me to help, fine." Twilight leaned back as fair as her throne would let her as Discord, his grin turning sinister, wrapped himself around it and her like a boa constrictor. "Go to Tartarus and see what the map wants you and lizard boy to do... or don't. Either way, I'm out. I still have four more seasons of DGT to watch."

* * *

Even though Twilight knew it was coming she still jumped a bit when the doors to Tartarus closed behind Spike and her. Cerberus who was pacing nearby only glanced for a moment at them before returning to his pacing, a slight growl emanating from him.

"Um, Twi..." Spike murmured, "are you sure that we went through the correct spooky door?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Twilight nodded, as she looked around, noting that instead of a small plain stack with cages with a few several narrow stairways leading up several small plateaus holding individual prisoners such as Tirek there was a series of vast chasms and canyons that crisscrossed as far as she could see with no cages or prisoners in sight. "Tartarus shifts periodically to make it harder to escape..."

"And also making it harder to find whoever the map wanted us to find..." Spike grumbled, pointing out the obvious.

"Yes..." Twilight rolled her eyes.

"My, my, my you look awful." A voice suddenly rose, echoing across Tartarus.

"Was that?"

"Lord Tirek? Yes."

"Who's Tirek talking to?" Spike whispered.

Twilight shushed Spike before slowly creeping forward down one of the paths and hopefully towards the source of Tirek's voice. She, too, was curious as to whom he was talking to, but she didn't want him or whomever he was talking to discover that they were not alone. Hopefully it wasn't another conspirator as Tirek would surely advise his next 'protege' to be more cautious.

"Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings, I presume?"

"Queen Chrysalis!?" Twilight gulped, nearly slipping on a rock as she heard the name Queen Chrysalis.  
"Twi!" Spike whisper yelled, painfully grabbing a chuck of her fur.

"I'm fine." Twilight reassured him as she leaned against a stalagmite to catch her breath and to ease her sense of vertigo and panic. The thought of falling down one of the 'bottomless' pits was terrifying even if she had wings and was highly skilled at self teleportation.

As she took a step around the stalagmite she sighed in relief. She could finally make out Lord Tirek and he was still in his cage. It was a bit surprising, though, to find his cage so close to the entrance. Given the way Tartarus had changed she had expected him to be a bit further within the prison.

"Es eslu Šizra." Came a voice so soft and weak that Twilight wasn't even sure if she heard it all.

 _Šizra?!_ Twilight gulped in fear scrambling to hide herself behind the rock. Šizra was far worse than Queen Chrysalis.

 _"You want me to help, fine. Go to Tartarus and see what the map wants you and lizard boy to do..."_

 _Discord! This is not helping!_

"I don't know if I should be impressed by your bold choice of disguise or..."

"Twi?" Spike yelped as Twilight roughly pulled him further behind the stalagmite with her.

 _"It's Šizra!"_ Twilight hissed before carefully peeking around the stalagmite to confirm that it was Šizra who had spoken, standing a short distance from Tirek.

"What?! Why is _he_ here?" Spike muttered, wringing his tail in fear.

Twilight frowned, mouthing _I don't know_ as she fought to suppress her rising panic. Her mind raced over the possibilities. It was obvious as to why Šizra was in Tartarus but why was he speaking to Tirek? This was in sharp contrast to his interaction with Cozy Glow.

 _"Go to Tartarus and see what the map wants you and lizard boy to do..."_

 _Not. Helping!_ Twilight mentally yelled at her memory of Discord 'helping' as she peeked around the stalagmite. There is no way that the map would send them here to see Lord Tirek and Šizra over a friendship problem.

"I admit myself speechless. I would never have guess the great Šizra giving me such a compliment."

"Why should I not... compliment you and the work of your... apprentice?"

Twilight found herself becoming even more confused. How could Šizra, who had clearly hated Cozy Glow enough to destroy her completely, now compliment her to Tirek? The very being who taught her how to steal all the magic in the first place? Šizra's motivations was fast becoming Pinkie Sense / Discord territory. Confusing, nonsensical and something best not to question or try to understand.

"Protege..." Tirek sighed, turning away from Šizra his hands clasped behind his back. Twilight was taken aback as she saw a single tear fall from his face. When she and her friends interrogated him earlier his body language and speech came off as arrogantly bored but now it seemed that if he had genuinely cared about Cozy Glow. "I am curious, though, why would you compliment a incompetent failure?"

"Incompetent?" Šizra blinked confusedly. "Cozy Glow managed to pull off a feat of spellcraft that would be extremely difficult for any but the most skilled kirin or unicorn much less a pegasus. Incompetent she was not."

Tirek spun around, facing Šizra, gripping the bars of his cage tightly. "BUT A FAILURE SHE WAS! Every last one of them!"

Šizra who had so far had been almost disinterested seemed almost intrigued by Tirek statement. "Interesting..."

Tirek growled angrily as he turned away from Šizra. "If all you going to do is mock me you can just leave."

"As you wish." Šizra bowed his head before turning around.

Twilight's eyes widened in surprise as she watched Šizra beginning to walk away. Given his earlier fury against Cozy Glow she... expected the worse. That surprise quickly turned to horror when she suddenly saw SoulSunder glinting in the low light of Tartarus. She quickly stuffed a hoof into her mouth to suppress a rising scream and before she could do anything else SoulSunder swung around in Šizra's dark aura, slicing through the bars of Tirek's cage, something she didn't think was possible, while also beheading the centaur. And just like Cozy Glow before, Tirek's body instantly turned to ash.

"If only..." Šizra muttered before taking a single, staggering step then collapsing.

Twilight shook her head as she tried to comprehend that Šizra had just collapsed in front of her. The way he seemed to be able to keep going she had expected something a bit less anticlimactic.

"Is he...?" Spike whispered, pushing down on Twilight's head, clearly to get a better view.

"Spike!" Twilight snapped as she lifted him off her head.

She motioned Spike to stay put as she slowly crept up to the still form of Šizra. At first it seemed that he had died but as she got closer she could see the cloak shift ever so slightly in the cadence of breathing, but she had to swallow some bile as she got a closer look. He looked far worse then when she last saw him. Blood, some caked, a lot of it fresh and mixed with froth coated his fur all the way down to his chest. Twilight wasn't well versed in medicine but she knew with he would not last much longer without medical attention. "He's alive, but barely..."

"What are we going to do, Twi?" Spike called out, still standing near the stalagmite.

Twilight chewed the bottom of her lip as she debated the best course of action. Šizra deserved to be left in Tartarus as punishment for his crime against the souls of Cozy Glow and Tirek, but without medical attention and soon he would surely die. She knew that if she walked away she would be no better then him. And worse still if he died now it would leave the fate of the sword SoulSunder unknown. It had vanished the moment that Šizra collapsed and the sword was far too dangerous to be left unaccounted for. It needed found and destroyed before it could claim anymore souls. She shuttered violently at the thought of somepony like Queen Chrysalis finding it.

Twilight sighed as she carefully lifted Šizra with her magic before beckoning for Spike to follow. They would have to walk out of Tartarus before she could teleport them to Ponyville. From there she could entreat the help of Princess Celestia and Luna. They would best know what to do about Šizra. "We're taking him back to back to Ponyville."

"Wait, what?" Spike shouted in disbelief, gesturing wildly at Tirek's cage. "You did just see what I just saw, right?!"

"I did." Twilight sighed. "But I also saw SoulSunder vanishing... most likely via a desummoning spell. We have to find that sword before somepony else does and the only one who would know where it would be is Šizra..."

Spike groaned, pinching the bridge of his brow with his claws. "Please don't let this backfire on us..."

 _Me too, Spike,_ Twilight silently agreed. _Me too..._


	8. Chapter 7: Ieslotzījuls

**Chapter 7: Ieslotzījuls (Imprisonment)**

 _A dragon who will not do what must be done will lose both hoard and life._ ~ Ancient Dragon Proverb

Šizra awoke with a gasp, the growling sound of a pissed off dragon echoing in his mind. He closed his eyes and took several slow breaths in an attempt steady his racing heart. After a few moments he could feel himself calm down. There was still much he needed to do and he had no know idea how long he had been passed out. But as he slowly tried to get up onto his hooves and paws he found himself to tripping over his forelegs.

He blinked as he gazed down. Instead of somehow being tangled up in his cloak as he expected he was actually shackled and chained to the floor. _What_? To further his shock both the shackles and chains were made from pure adamantine. A nigh of indestructible, mana resisting metal, very difficult to forge correctly, extremely expensive, and not a metal that would be used within Tartarus. His heart rate began to climb and the growling returning with a vengeance as he looked around and realized that what he initially thought were the shattered remains of Tirek's prison cell was actually his own.

A thick darkness swirled a few hoofs away from his cage preventing him from discovering what lied beyond. The floor no help either being a common grey granite that could be from almost anywhere. He counted four large yellowish green crystals jutting out from the floor at equidistant interval around his cage. Judging from the amount of light emitting from the crystals he estimated that he should be have been able to see at least three times farther than he could. All of that was nothing compared to what he saw next. The fur on his back rose and the growling morphed to ferocious roars when his eyes locked onto the granite arch that rose over his cage. A single word slipped out in a horrified whisper. " _How_..."

Etched upon its polished surface, one above him and one to each side of the cage was the magic runes for contain. If done correctly Šizra knew that there should be a forth below the cage. His mind raced as he went over the implications of seeing runic magic. He had thought that he had finally eradicated what little knowledge was left of runic magic some ten millennia ago. Did someone find something he had missed... _Please tell me someone didn't deciphered the runes upon the Gates of Tartarus!_

This could make Cozy Glow's mana theft seem minor in comparison. Runic magic was by far the most powerful, resilient forms of magic but it was also paradoxically rigid and temperamental. 'Contain' what? There were no quantifiers to describe what it was to contain so if the rune was properly made and depending on how much power was put in it would contain everything, _literately_ everything.

Šizra's ears twitched, pulling him out of his worries. He could just make out the sound of hooves and what he assumed was a wheeled cart. Hopefully he would have some answers soon... if he could calm himself down that is.

His mind screeched to a halt when Celestia walked out from shadows. He glazed at the runes out of the corner of his eyes before putting his full his attention unto Celestia. A sniff masked as a yawn told him that he was most likely seeing the real Celestia and not an impostor. He again stole a look at the runes. While he could believe that Celestia would want to imprison him for the killing of Cozy Glow using runic magic to do so far less. To go this far? Then again...

Šizra returned his attention to Celestia as she begun to pour some tea. He watched closely as she used no magic to hold the tea pot nor the tea cup. It was a given that she would block the ability to use active magic but he needed to know the method. He would need to know if he had a hope of formulating an escape. For now he needed to find out what she wanted. For why else would she appear so quickly after he regained consciousness?

"What do you want?"

Celestia took a slow long sniff from her tea before taking a sip. Šizra raised an eyebrow as he watched her continue to act like she had nothing better to do but to enjoy her tea. He knew she had heard him. Even with how rusty he was in social cues the almost imperceptible movement of her right ear gave it away. "Where have you hidden SoulSunder?" She finally asked after pouring fresh tea into her cup.

Šizra slowly breathed out. As he had suspected, however that was something he would and could never do... It was just to dangerous for anyone but himself to handle the sword. Though there were times he wondered if even he could handle it...

* * *

Šizra stifled another yawn his parents finally came to a stop. He was not happy being awoken in the middle of the night and practically dragged deep into his parent's hoard. He thought they were past giving him these kind of tests several centuries ago. But he knew that he would not get back to sleep until he satisfied his parents.

"What do you see Šizra?" He father suddenly spoke, startling Šizra.

With a sigh of defeat and a shake of his head he started to examine the dead end before them. At first glance all he could see was that there was a tier five runic ward carved into wall with a door in the center. That alone was not something worth waking him up for as there were numerous tier five wards all around the island, but as he stepped forward to take a closer look he realized that there something was off about this ward. The runes appeared to be too clean, too uniform, too smooth to be carved by claw or chisel. The only way that he knew of that could do this was that was magic was used to carve the runes. That was unusual... unique actually... His parents were very adamant about not using magic when craving runes. For good reason too. So why did they do it now?

Šizra stepped close taking a few sniffs before closing his eyes and slowly rubbing a paw across random rune. He hoped that feel of the mana, if there was any remaining, could give him some clues as to why. Over and over his paw ran over until he snapped back when he realized that the mana that created the rune had characteristics that precluded dragon. No wonder his parents woke him in the middle of the night! Someone had infiltrated their hoard!

He quickly summoned the relevant runic reference book from his library and began to try and figure out what creature may have created the runes. Going back to the rune he was examining he slowly crosschecked what he was sensing to the most likely candidates. As he slowly eliminated one candidate after another he felt more and more uneasy every possible candidate was eliminated, except alicorn. He shook his head in disbelief, nearly starting over, thinking that he must have made a mistake. There was no way an alicorn made the ward. Their were no alicorns left! He had scoured in entire world dozens upon dozens time in the pass five thousand years and was unable to find a single trace or even a rumor!

" _How!?_ " Šizra exclaimed in shock, spinning around to face his parents. "How and why was there an alicorn runic ward _here_?" Given how deep the ward was into the mountain there was a chance it was here before his parents claimed the island but then again why was there an alicorn ward so deep within a claimed dragon...

"The ward was placed here by Harmonious Knight."

"The ward was placed..." Šizra repeated, blinking as he turned back to the ward trying to wrap his head around that revelation. Why would his sire put such a high tiered ward upon a room deep within his parents hoard? And why him and not his parents? If he recalled correctly while Harmonious Knight was skilled in runic wards he paled in comparison to... "Why would _he_ put a runic ward _here_?"

"Because... Because he... that is..." The unease that Šizra had felt earlier roared back with a vengeance. His father was stumbling with his words. He had never seen his father act in such a way even in the face of being swept up by a massive layoinc storm. "SoulSunderisbehindit."

Šizra spun around once he deciphered his father run on words. His unease replace by murderous fury. "A ward!? A bucking _ward_?" He summoned Leafcutter with a barely a thought, raising it in preparation to attack. Of all the artifacts that the Alicorns created, which apparently managed to escape their destruction, it had to be darkest of them all! Worse still, his parents thought to was okay to leave it behind a mere ward!? "And not even a perfect seven tiered ward at that!? That damn sword should slagged, pounded into dust, atomized and finally scattered across the heavens!"

"Exactly, Šizra, Exactly..."

* * *

"Šizra!" Šizra jerked as Celestia shout startled him out of his recollection. "Where is SoulSunder?!"

Šizra sighed as he shook off the echoing remnants of the memory. "How long have I been here?"

"Where. Is. SoulSunder!"

Šizra gritted his teeth in irritation. The roaring in his mind was becoming a distraction and her amateurish browbeating was not helping. He was in no mood to wear her down to get a simple answer to such an innocuous question. There was more important things both should be doing then going back and forth over a sword she had zero business dealing with. "If you do not answer my question fully and truthfully in the next thirty seconds on my life and by my magic I do swear I will geas myself to never reveal its secrets to _anyone_."

The teacup Celestia had been using suddenly shattered, spilling steaming hot tea all of the cart and down her neck and chest. Šizra frowned as he watched her slowly brushed a few shattered piece of porcelain off her chest before reaching out and pouring tea into a new cup. _Why is she hesitating?_ He wondered as Celestia stiffly took a sip from her new cup. Twenty seconds had already past and if she did not answer in the next ten seconds she would forever lose everything she was trying to accomplish by imprisoning him.

 _Eight_

Did she think that his geas was somehow disrupted?

 _Seven_

There was a few ways to nullify a geas but outside a previous geas he highly doubted she would know...

 _Six_

"Five."

 _Come on..._

"Four."

 _Don't be a fool..._

"Three."

"Six..." Celestia finally ground out. "Six days."

 _Six days!?_ Šizra nearly shouted out loud. _The Voice curse it! If Cktüis Zuserthators Ember is anything like Lācktas..._

"I have answered your question. Now... where have you hidden SoulSunder?"

"No." Šizra absentmindedly answered, doubling his mental efforts in finding a way to deal with the contain rune and tarturanium cage. He needed to get to Cktüis Zuserthators Ember before she had the chance to gather the dragons for war or more likely, given how long he had been unconscious, before they attacked and burned Equestria to ash.

"No?"

"No." He repeated, biting back a growl and gazing down at Celestia. "I will never tell you where, I will never show you where, and I will never give you SoulSunder."

Šizra flinched back as Celestia rushed his cage, her horn suddenly glowing. Her response had been expected but the glow of mana buildup immediately flowing away from her horn was not. That was not the typical reaction of Tarturanium nor the 'contain' rune. _Interesting_... He could think of a couple spells and substances that could disrupt magic but none that he could currently recall that pulled away mana in the manner that he saw. Was he wrong about the only runes being the runes for contain? Or had the Equestrians figured something new in the realm of magic in the past few decades?

"I will not let you destroy Equestria!"

Šizra snorted twice before devolving into laughter. It was just too ridiculous to him. _Destroy Equestria_? Even with everything done by Cozy Glow the thought had never even crossed his mind. His wrath was against the alicorn race not the whole of pony kind. Not that Equestria housed the entire pony race to begin with. In the end if the nation of Equestria faded into history made no difference to him or to the world at large. Not that at she could stop him if he had wanted to destroy Equestria. "The only one here that is letting Equestria be destroyed is you."

Celestia's jaw dropped, shock crossing her features for a moment until anger returned with a vengeance. "There isn't a punishment worthy of all you've done!" She growled. For a moment Šizra thought that she was about ready to attack irregardless of the cage in which he was imprisoned but then she turned away with a tired sigh.

He watched with fake indifference as she started to push the tea cart away. The sooner she left the sooner he could focus.

"You will never be free again Šizra." Celestia whispered as she paused at the edge of the darkness and gazed back, a look of defeat upon her face. "If you don't want to find yourself petrified and then thrown down the deepest, darkest pit in Tartarus you will tell me where you have hidden SoulSunder."

Šizra sighed tiredly, shaking his head. _If only you knew... if only you knew..._

 _"The rage over desecrating the body and soul of anyone much less a hatchling is... It's a powerful instinctual response... and you understand first hoof how difficult it is to overcome even with your duel nature..."_

 _"But that doesn't explain..."_

 _"The curse was not merely layered on top of the sword or in a embedded into a hilt gem like that of Leafcutter... it was ensorcelled as it was forged..."_

 _"Then... Then that means..."_

 _"Yes. Too little power and nothing happens... but a thaum too much and or of the wrong type and a mana cascade explosion_ will _occur..."_

 _... and make the fate of everycreature from one end of Equestria to the other the same as Cozy Glow and Tirek..._


End file.
